Those who didn't want to admit that the earth wasn't the centre of the universe saw heliocentrism as a challenge to their notion of the Almighty. Now as our notion of God has adapted, heliocentrism is largely an irrelevance.
I'd argue that its similar with evolution and abiogenesis. These concepts challege people's notion of what God is and does, but there is still plenty of room for a pretty coherent notion of God that takes into account that life didn't necessarily originate with a Kazzam! one day when some omnipotent being felt like doing something a bit different.
As I mentioned in the previous message, my hunch is that that if you play up the "preplanned" nature of the universe, God is made no more of an irrelevance than when earth just became the third rock from the sun.
Of course I want to hear what you say in response, but I might just leave off responding myself unless I can see a way of tying it back into the discussion of the pope's recent speech. (Unless you can see a way.)
You've made an interesting parallel with heliocentrism. Might be worth a new topic?
(definitely off-topic here).
Edited by robinrohan, : No reason given.
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